HORRIBLE OUTRAGE.—FIVE PERSONS MURDERED BY ONE MAN.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3340, 31 March 1868, Page 4

HORRIBLE OUTRAGE.— FIVE PERSONS MURDERED BY ONE MAN.

Yass, March 19. Conroy, a squatter, his wife, a man named Smith, and two elderly shepherds, were murdered on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning by a shepherd, ticket-of-leave man, named Munday or Collins. A row fcook.place about wages ; during the night he stabbed Conroy with shears and axed Smith. The other?, hearing the noise, went to the place in their nightclothes, when they were successively slabbed and axed. The bodies were brought to Yass this morning. The murderer has been arrested and confesses to the murder. He was brought to Yass last night by sub-inspector Brennan. Munday, alias Collins, is a very small man, of good muscular development, 5 feet 1 inch high, and thirty-six years old. He believes he was bora ia England and taken to Tipperary when quite young. He ia a ticket-of-leave holder ; he was tried for murdering a man named Henry, at Maitland, in 1854, and, being found guilty of manslaughter, was sentenced to fifteen years. He attempted to kill a person at Mr. Besn»rd'« with a tomahawk some months ago. He states he would have killed five hundred on Tuesday night if he could. The murder was , perpetrated at Conroys Gap» sixteen miles from Yass. The prisoner arrived in the ship ' Havering,' in the year 1849. For tihe murder at Maitland he served ten years, and obtained, a. ticket-of-leave for Yass in 1864. An inqueitis being held on each body separately. He has been committed for trial for the murder of Conroy and his wife. The inquest on the three others is , adjourned till to-morrow. The bodies .w^re found prepared in pile, with mattresses and bed-clothes, ready to be burnt,, and the prisoner stated such to have been his intention.

March 20. The inquest on the five yiotlme, murdered by Collins, has been concluded. The verdict in each case is "Wilful murder." The prisoner maintained a cool indifference throughout the investigation. The funeral took placethis afternoon, when the five bodies passing through the town in the same cortege, filled the people with awe. They were interred in the Roman Catholic Cemetery. After fatally stabbing his victims, the murderer inflicted axe-wounds on all the bodies, some of the corpses having as many as twelre. The arm of one and the leg of another were nearly severed. It is aaid that this wretch, after murdering his five victims, waited for Conroys son, with the intention of despatching him also.

Gbajton via Sidnbt, March 16. Dr. Sawyer, the Bishop of Grafton and Armidale, his second son, and a female servant, were drowned last night by the upsetting of a boat on the Clarence Eiver. The bishop had conducted the evening service at Grafton, and was returning at ten o'clock to Bishopßthorpe, situate on the banks of the river. He was accompanied by bis son, Mr. Brown, James Creighton, and two female servants. After proceeding a mile, the wind being fresh and the sails set, near the end of Elizabeth Island, a sudden gust of wind upset the boat. The bishop's son was asleep, and was nob seen after the accident. Creighton attempted to rescue the bishop, but was seized by the servant, who held on to him. The bishop was never seen again. The survivors were picked up nearly exhausted, by Messrs. Selman and Gibson, whose attention was directed to the scene by the cries for assistance. The bodies have not yet been recovered. A great number of boats are engaged dragging for the bodies ; business has been suspended, and a gloom oast over the city and the distriot.